28 Finally quit the Coast of Greenland 



continued till the 13th ; constantly engaged through the day in 

 warping and heaving through the ice which seemed to hang about 

 Cape Parry, and forced us off the land. We now finally quit- 

 ted the coast of Greenland. The whole line along which we 

 had sailed is high, averaging from 2000 to 3000 feet, with 

 mountains in the interior of perhaps double that height. The 

 soundings partook of the character of the land, being deep close 

 to, excepting when it slopes gradually towards the sea. It may 

 almost be said there are no dangers whatever in the whole ex- 

 tent of our survey. It was now dark at night, for about eight 

 hours, during which time we always made fast to a floe. On 

 the 12th we observed three bears, an old one and two cubs, on 

 a floe of ice ; two of them we shot and captured the thu-d alive, 

 being taken whilst swimming in the water, which he jumped 

 into on the death of his comrades. This animal lived till after 

 our arrival at Drontheim, when, in endeavouring to remove him 

 from the long boat where he had got loose, he was unfortunately 

 strano-led. He was an amazingly strong and powerful animal, 

 and, without being well secured, there was no possibility of ap- 

 proaching him. 



September 13. — The weather which had been so fine during 

 the whole period of our stay upon this coast now broke, and we 

 had this day a strong gale from the NNE. The weather being 

 very thick with sleet, we secured the ship to a piece of ice, 

 along with which she drove and received several severe shocks, 

 and caused a heavy strain on the hawsers and stream-cables, 

 which frequently broke. We then got out both chain cables 

 and two large hawsers. During the night large floes were con- 

 tinually coming in contact with that to which we were fastened. 

 Towards the morning the pressure became so violent that one 

 of the chains and both hawsers snapped. The ship rode by the 

 remaining chain for about two hours longer, when it also parted 

 about an hour before day-light. Our situation was now a most 

 anxious one, the gale continued with unabated violence, and 

 the ship drove to the southward amongst loose ice and heavy 

 floes, which, from the darkness of the night, we could neither 

 see nor avoid. We received many severe shocks, but, from the 

 admirable manner in which our little vessel was strengthened, 

 without any serious injuiy. At day-break the gale moderated 



